ProjectSummary ThepurposeoftheproposedPathwaystoIndependenceawardistoassistthecandidateindeveloping researchskillsrelevanttoalcoholphenotypesandpsychiatricgeneticmethods.Thecandidate?sultimate careergoalistofunctionasanindependent,extramurallyfundedresearcherwithinanacademicresearch institution.Specifically,thecandidateaimstodevelopaprogramofresearchfocusedontheinvestigationof biologicalandpsychosocialfactorsrelatedtotheetiologyandmaintenanceofposttraumaticstressdisorder (PTSD)andalcoholusedisorders(AUDs),frequentlycooccurringclinicalconditionsthatarehighlyimpairing andrepresentmajorpublichealthconcerns.TheK99trainingphaseoftheawardwouldoccurunderthe mentorshipofDrs.KennethKendlerandAnandaAmstadterattheVirginiaInstituteforPsychiatricand BehavioralGenetics(VIPBG),oneofthetopresearchinstitutesintheworldforpsychiatricgeneticresearch. TheproposedpostdoctoraltrainingandsupportfromthePathwaystoIndependencemechanismwouldallow thecandidatetomergeherexistingexperienceinhumanlaboratorymethodologieswithnoveltrainingin alcoholphenotypes,psychiatricgeneticmethods,andadvanceddataanalytictechniques,allowingforthe investigationofriskforcooccurringPTSDandAUDsfromamultimethodperspective.Thetrainingplan includesanumberofcomplementaryapproaches,suchasformalcourseworkanddidactics(e.g.,seminars, workshops),individualmentorship,advancedstatisticaltraining,disseminationactivities,trainingintheethical conductofresearch,andexperiencewithgrantsmanshipactivities.TheproposedK99study,tailoredwiththe traininggoalsinmind,aimstocapitalizeonaNIAAAfundedmeritaward(PI:Kendler)toexaminegeneticand environmentalfactorsrelatedtoPTSDsymptoms,distresstolerance,andcopingorienteddrinkinginyoung adults.Specifically,theaimsoftheK99studyareto:(1)detectgeneticvariationandidentifyfunctionalgene groupsrelatedtoPTSDandcopingorienteddrinking?and(2)examinewhetherdistresstolerancemediatesa relationshipbetweenPTSDandcopingorienteddrinkingafteraccountingforsharedgeneticvariationbetween PTSDandcopingorienteddrinking.Theproposedstudyisclinicallysignificant,inthatitwouldincreaseour understandingofgeneticandenvironmentalfactorsunderlyingPTSDAUDcooccurrence,therebyinforming thedevelopmentoftargetedpreventionandearlyinterventionstrategies.